Monday, January 25, 2010

Duke's fans - some of whom are concerned that the Blue Devils may be overworking Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith - aren't the only ones paying close attention to the minutes logged by the Big Three.

ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell was urging the Tigers to keep pushing in an effort to tire the Blue Devils in Duke's 60-47 win on Saturday. Purnell admitted as much on Monday during the ACC's weekly teleconference call.

"We were monitoring minutes during the game and recognized that Scheyer and Singler had not been out of the game," Purnell said. "With our style and all of that, it was soemthing we were trying to do at the end. And quite honestly, they looked bushed. But I give them all the credit in the world. With tremendous mental toughness, those two, along with Smith and their other guys hung in there when they were tired."

But Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski sounded confident that superior conditioning is keeping his top players from wearing down. Scheyer and Singler played 40 minutes each Saturday, and Smith played 37.

"They're in great shape," Krzyzewski said Monday of Duke's three top players. "They finished the Clemson game, and all three of them, they could have played another 20 minutes."

About this blog

David Scott has been with the Observer for 28 years and has written about ACC, SEC and other college sports in the Charlotte region. He covers Wake Forest, South Carolina and college soccer for the Observer and (Raleigh) News & Observer.

J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997, and the Observer.

Andrew Carter covers the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Observer and News & Observer.

Laura Keeley covers the Duke Blue Devils for the Observer and News & Observer. Follow her on Twitter.

Chip Alexander covers the Carolina Hurricanes and college football for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1979, and the Observer.

Luke DeCock has worked for The News & Observer since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist for the Observer and News & Observer in August 2008.

Tim Crothers is an author and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated who is joining the sports staff to write a regular column during the rest of the college basketball season.